Breast form



Y Jan. 2, 1940. I H. @AUSTIN BREAST 'FORM l Filed Feb. 7, 1959 wen:

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT @ENCE BREAST FORM ApplicationFebruary 7, 1939, Serial No. 255,089

1 Claim.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a breast form ofa character in which, when it has been collapsed, it will automaticallyrestore itself to normal convex position, and to provide a constructionwhich prevents injurious pressure on the natural breast.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is afront view of a preferred embodiment of a breast form constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a diametrical sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diametrical sectional view of an outer pad constituting apart of the breast form and consisting, preferably, of felt;

Fig. 4 is a front View of a spring, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the inner pad, preferably of felt.

It has been found in practice that many of the breast forms now on themarket are so made that, if they should be pressed in at the nipple, 25they are apt to stay that way and in fact there is nothing in them toobviate this difficulty. As stated above, the principal objects of thisinven` tion are to overcome this objection.

The main part of the breast form shown is 30 made up of two concavemembers IB and l l preferably of felt, one of them being adapted to bereceived within the other, as shown in Fig. 2. k

In the manufacture of the device, a spiral concave spring I2 is placedbetween these two pads 35 l0 and Il and supported between them in itsouter convolution I3 around the edge. The edges of the pads are merrowedall around at ifi so as to provide a comparatively rigid structurearound the edge in which the outer convolution I3 of wire can bereceived and held in substantially xed position. It is by thisconvolution i3 that the spring is supported and, being concave the sameas the pads l0 and Il, it is depended upon to hold the outer pad in itsconvex position on the outside and hold the nipple l5 in its properposition or to restore it to that condition at once,

if the pad is pushed in. These pads are shown each as made oi fourpieces of felt, secured to- 5 gether by radial seams i6 and Ilrespectively, by which device the pieces of originally flat felt can bemanipulated into the convex condition required. l

It will be seen that, with this construction, 10 Whenever the pad is ina position as shown in Fig. 2 and pressure is applied to the nipple, itcan be bent backwardly against the resistance of the spring, but thespring will promptly return it to its normal convex condition. This 15avoids the diilculty often encountered, wherein the nipple of a breast-form of this nature gets pressed in and remains in that condition.There is nothing behind it to restore it as the interior of the pad isnot resilient and the desired eiect cannot be accomplished, if thathappens. The pad will stay collapsed until it is taken oit and restoredto shape.

Although it is preferred to use a lwire spiral concave spring, aspringof the same general shape formed of featherbone will accomplish the sameobject. The shape of the coil spring prevents the retraction of thecenter of the bust inwardly by accident to such an extent as to rub onthe natural nipple of the wearer or press on itin any way.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

As an article of manufacture, a breast form comprising two convex cupsof felt, concentric with each other, one within the other, their edgesbeing merrowed in position, and a convex spiral metal spring between thetwo layers of felt for 40 restoring the outer cup to its original convexposition if it becomes indented in the center.

HERBERT A. AUSTIN.

